If you struggle with back pain, you’ve likely been told:
Dr. John S. Michels is a top-level pain management specialist who takes a much more supportive approach to treating painful conditions that make it hard to move, much less remain patient over the weeks to months and even years that back pain can last.
Residents in and around the Texas communities of Dallas and Fort Worth appreciate Dr. Michels’ commitment to delivering highly effective, minimally invasive therapies for neck pain, chronic headaches, complex regional pain syndrome, nerve injuries, joint pain, and numerous other painful and often debilitating conditions.
Read what this award-winning physician has to say about back pain and how spinal injections can help.
The underlying triggers of back pain are often misunderstood, and treatment strategies that promote generic recommendations such as over-the-counter pain meds and watchful waiting may do little to resolve the issue.
If, for instance, your pain is related to spinal nerve compression, your discomfort won’t come under control until we identify and address the condition that’s causing the nerve irritation.
Dr. Michels recommends a multipronged treatment approach to back pain that’s designed to relieve your symptoms and address the underlying cause of your discomfort.
The causes of back pain are as diverse as the individuals who experience it and may include:
Muscle and tendon strain linked to inappropriate lifting techniques and other injuries is the most common cause of acute (sudden) back pain.
Nerve-related irritation can also tighten and stress muscles and tendons as your body attempts to compensate for pain in the affected areas.
Due to its complex nature, effective treatment for back pain requires an accurate diagnosis of its origin.
The injections Dr. Michels provides for back pain target therapies directly to the source of the pain.
Depending on the cause of your pain, Dr. Michels may recommend:
These injections deliver anti-inflammatory and pain-blocking medication to the epidural space of the spine around nerves irritated by a bulging disc or spinal stenosis.
These injections target a specific spinal nerve causing localized pain and delivers medication around the nerve at the point where it exits the spine.
This type of injection addresses pain stemming from a damaged or arthritic facet joint in the back or neck by placing anti-inflammatory medication directly into the inflamed joint.
Dr. Michels uses this injection to deposit medication around the spinal nerves that transmit pain signals from arthritic facet joints in the spine. If the pain is relieved temporarily from the block, radiofrequency ablation is performed to make the pain stay away. This therapy may also be recommended to tackle treatment-resistant headaches and neck pain caused by issues in the cervical spine.
This injection targets pain originating in the SI joint that connects the spine to your pelvis. A large portion of low back is caused by inflammation of the SI joints. Dr. Michels places anti-inflammatory medication directly into the joint to alleviate the pain.
While not curative, spinal injections are often highly effective at relieving pain and increasing your mobility as you undergo other conservative treatments such as physical therapy for back and neck pain.
Don’t let back pain control your life. Schedule a visit with Dr. Michels today for a customized treatment strategy that’s designed to restore your quality of life and get you moving pain-free again.
